Gondola car top chord angle and lading tie anchor



' E. P. SMITH GONDOLA CAR TOP CHORD ANGLE AND LADING TIE ANCHOR- Aug. 5, 1952 Filed March 19, 1951 Wm M 0 Edward Patented Aug. 5, 1952 GONDOLA CAR TOP CHORD ANGLE AN LADING TIE ANCHOR Edward Payson Smith, Winnetka, Ill.,-assignor to Illinois Railway Equipment Company, 'Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois g Application March 19, 1951, SerialNo. 2 16,31

My invention relates to top chords, with incorporated lading tie anchors, for gondola cars, whereby a steel chord of great strength is pro vided with non-protruding anchors; which permit the tie means to be disposed at varying degrees to the vertical axis of the anchors, thus permitting the tie straps or elements to extend in directions toward opposite ends of the car and respond to the pulling strains without undue'or tearing strains.

My invention lends itself to the making of the combined unit of suitable metal, preferably cast steel, made in preselected sections for convenience in handling which may then be integrally united by welding, without, however, materially increasing initial cost.

6 Claims. (01. 105-369 lengths of similar contour, the illustration and.

description of a single section of my improved top chord and tie strap anchor will sufi'lce. The number of chord sections, of course, may depend on the length of thecar and its design determines the side post or stake spacing, which in turn suggests-the number of chord sections required to provide a top chord angle throughout the length of the car.

Each chord section i5, which I prefer to form of cast steel, and for purpose of strength is of substantially right-angular cross-section, with its inner leg or uninterrupted side 16 arranged in lapping relation with the inner face of car side wall IT, as shown in Figure 7, to which it is-i-nteg'rally secured as by welding. The other The aforementioned objects and advantages of my invention will be readily comprehended from the following detailed description of the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure l is a top plan view of a section of my improved top chord.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof. Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3--3of Figure l; v

Figure 4 is a similar View on the lined-4 of Figure 1.

Figures 5 and 6 are similar views taken respectively, on the lines 5-5 and fi-'fi of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a perspectiveview of a section of the car top angle involving my invention.

My invention relates to an improved top chord for gondola cars, with lading tie anchors incorporated therein, and which is adapted to be welded or otherwise intimately secured to the top edges of gondola car walls; the improved chord, for the sake of easier manipulation in installation, being preferably cast or formed in sections of preselected length adapted to be arranged in abutting relation on the car wall and the respective sections welded together and to leg or side I8 overlaps the top edge'of the gondola car side wall and extends substantially horizontally outward from the car wall. This leg or side it terminates in a downwardly disposed flange l9, which at preselected'distances apart is provided or cast with the tie strap anchors shown at 20, 20 in Figure 7.

The strap anchors are formed by depressing a part of the top side to provide theldependent wall portion, as shown at 2]; andproviding the outer edge or rim of'the caVitywithJthedepending or underslung loop 22, which extends sli htly beneath the-lower edge of the dependent wall portion 2! and'spacedjther'efroin' to provide the anchor strap receivingopening at 23.

The underslung loop 22 preferably is provided with rounded surfaces to enableeasy movement the car wall and formed to provide greater strength than that of present-day constructions.

.My invention is designed to enable use of the conventional steel strapping as well as steel wire and thus enable a proper and secure anchoring of the commodity to be provided without damage to the car sides. Due to the failure in providing proper anchoring means, shippers have been known to burn holes in the sides of the car. thereby weakening the car construction, inducing deterioration and tie means cutting surfaces.

As my improved top chord ang e, which extends about the entire car, for the sake of easier manipulation, preferably is formed in preselected or insertionof thelading tie strap; with one end of the loop, namely, the end at;.the leftfof the'anchor a'tthe left'inliigure 7, provided with a long downward slope as shown at 24; while the opposite end of the loop is short and at a sharper degree as shown at 25.

I prefer to arrange these anchors in pairs as shown. with the loop at the right sloping exactly onpositeto the one at the left, thus permitting the tie bands to angle seventy degrees to the right of vertical in the right hand anchor as indicated by the band section 26, or permit the tie bands to an le say fourteen degrees at the opposite ends of the anchors as shown at 21 in Figure 2.

It will be understood that similar anchors are providedin the top chord of the opposite side wall of the car and that each top chord section wi l present, at least preferably, a pair of lading stra anchors.

The len th of t e car and its desi n determine the side post or stake spacing which in turn suggests the required number of chord sections necessary for a complete chord about the top of the car; the various sections being arranged in end to end abutting relation and welded together as indicated at 28 in Figure 7, to provide a rigid unitary structure about the top edge of the car.

I also" provide each chord section I; intermediate the band anchors 20, 2-11,. with a. suitable hole 29 to accommodate a steel rod used for holding certain types of lading.

My improved chord section thusv provides. for

use of various types of lading'tieme'ans'withnutiir.

any way weakening the top chord or car' construotion while presenting a smootlrsurfaced top-chord with anchor sections which will notzinterfereemthw.

loading and unloading operations.

In present-day gondola car. construction, the top chord angle comprises a rolled steel section that ties the side plates and spaced vent'icalposts.

into a rigid unit which,.in various types to obtain desiremstrengthkare augmented by'welding; a;fiat steeLstr-apmf comparatively heavy"- cross-section. The angle member and theareinforcingv strapat spaced intervals. along the. can length haveholes adapted tot-he use-of-smallrro'ds or. wire for holding the car. lading. This: method; is.-;- undesirable and; inefiicient: with certain. lading and. does. not permit-the use of the" present-dayconventional steel strap tie means. My improved combined top. ohordwith incorporated.- tier-strapanchorsrobv-iatesthenecessity and: expense. of, applying various types of. lading band holding anchors; of adding. auxiliary. strengtheprov-iding members-;. and the timeand' labor involvedimpunching; therrodreceiving holes-heretofore mentioned; as the re,- spective: chord sections preferably haveitwoband anchors andza I'-Dd?1'fiGBiVi-H opening incorporated thereiniand: all. recessed. to prevent being; engagecb by. an article, rubbing: across the. bulb: or topichorda Thestructure shown and described is believed to" be. the pref erred form: of my invention: which has been described in. termsof description. and not inrterms of limitation,,.as. strncturalimodificationsmlmay, be.- possible. and may be made without, liowevlenideparting. from the, spirit on my. invention asidefinedlinwth'e appended claims.

Y What lclaim is:

' ...1-.. Agondolamar. top chord of angle cross-seetioni whose; verticaL side or leg is; adapted. to; be weldeditc the. upper marginal portionlof th car wall with.the horizontaL side onleg disposedeoutwardly across the. car, wall. and provided withza downwardlydisposed flange, said. horizontal; leg

at preselected intervals having lading. tie strap.

receiving. elongated holes; defined at: oneside. by

vertical downwardly disposed wall portions and at the outer side by downwardly sloping loops.

2. A gondola car top chord of angle cross-section whose vertical side is adapted to be intimately secured to the upper marginal portion of the car wall, while the horizontal side of the angle extends: outwardly" across. the car wall with the-horizontal side at preselectedintervals having lading tie strap-receiving openings provided at the inner sides with downwardly extending fiat walls and. at their outer sides with downwardly extending tie strap-holding loops whose ends curve upwardly at different degrees of slope relative to:the.: vertical axes through the loops.

3a A gondola; car: top chord of angle cross-sectionwhoseevertical side is adapted to be intimate- 1y; seonredto. the, upper marginal portion of the car wall, while the horizontal side of the angle atpreselected intervals is cast with lading strapreceiving openings provided at their inner sides with: downwardly disposedestrapguiding portions and: atztheir. outer sidesrwith underslung loop-like portions; of: arcuatecross seetion' to. provide tie strapeholdingportions.

4-; Agondola car top chordof. right angular cross-section! whose vertical side-isadapted-to be intimately securedto the upperrmarginal portion of the--car'wall, while thehorizontal sidelof: the angleatpreseleetedintervals is-prov-ided with depressed lading strap-receivin openings having downwardly extending rear walls; and; depending loop-like. portions disposed: longitudinally at the outer sides; ofthe openings and disposedv beneath the plane of. the. upper surface:- of; thehorizontal side and .curvingupwardly toward theends on the openings.

5.. A gondola cartop: chordiof right. angular cross-section whose. vertical side is adapted'tobe intimately-secured; tor theupper marginal portion of the ear wall, whilethehorizontal side at the chord atpreselected intervals is-depressed=to-form loop-like portions disposed below the: horizontal side and provide tie-i strap passages about the loop-likejportions.

6. A gondola car top chord-composedoia pluralityof right angular sections arranged; end: to end and Welded into a single chord, with one side of each section intimatelysecured-,toithe topedge of thecar. wall while-the other sideiofeachsection extends-horizontally and. is provided with.elongated openings-and. the metal; atthe outer. sides of the. openings depressed below the horizontal side of the:section into ladingytie strapattaching loops.

EDWARDPAYSQN SMITH no referencescited. 

